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Polish president signs off on controversial new laws

David Charter, Berlin

July 26 2017, 12:00am, The Times

President Duda has said he will present alternative proposal to the two bills that he vetoedALIK KEPLICZ/AP

President Duda of Poland has signed into law a bill giving his country’s justice minister the power to hire and fire the heads of lower courts, a day after vetoing two other bills to give the government control over supreme court appointments.

Mr Duda, 45, was widely praised for his rejection of the two supreme court bills, which had provoked opposition and protest throughout Poland for fear they would undermine the rule of law by ending the principle of the separation of legal powers between the judiciary and government. However, he has been criticised for eroding the independence of ordinary courts by going ahead with the third measure.

The European Commission told the Polish government last week to rethink the three-bill package and will now…